Attraction Review~ Humunga Kowabunga

Typhoon Lagoon's Mount Mayday might not reach as far into the sky as Mount Gushmore at its sister park, Blizzard Beach, but there is no doubting the fact that it has its fair share of wonderful waterslides. Each one fits exquisitely into the storm hit tropical paradise theme of the park, fitting in beautifully with the waterfalls and other water features which tumble off the mountain.

The most thrilling of this awesome collection of waterslides is the incredibly fun Humunga Kowabunga, three identical side by side speed slides, each 214 feet long, which whisk guests down the mountain... In the dark! Not only that, but each slide is incredibly steep, meaning that it's apparently possible to reach speeds of up to 39mph!

This attraction has a height restriction of 48 inches (122cm) and is located on the right hand side of the park, next to the Storm Slides, and is accessed via the Mount Mayday's right slope. And location isn't the only thing these two attractions have in common. Humunga Kowabunga, like the Storm Slides, rarely has a very long queue, at least, not in my experience! I've personally never seen the line at Humunga at more than 20-25 minutes, not even on busier days at this amazing waterpark. No Disney waterpark attraction offers Fastpass, so I would say the best time to ride Humunga Kowabunga would be after experiencing some of the park's more popular attractions, including Shark Reef and Crush 'n' Gusher, amongst others. The fact that Humunga Kowabunga features 3 separate slides makes the line move faster. About two thirds of the way through the line you will encounter a fork in the path. Bear right to get to the slides; the left hand path takes you on Typhoon Lagoon's Mountain Trail, a truly beautiful pathway across Mount Mayday which hardly ever has anybody walking along it. It's great to explore, and I would really recommend it to anybody visiting the park. If anything, it's an effective way of crossing the park without having to walk around the massive Surf Pool or along Castaway Creek. I love how it's so tranquil, passes through some amazingly themed landscape, and provides impressive views of the park.

Here's how I would rate Humunga Kowabunga in the following areas, and why:

Thrill~ 9/10
All you have to do is read the aforementioned statistics, and you'll have no doubt that this is an extremely thrilling attraction! The standout one is this slide's remarkable speed, of up to 39 miles per hour. To put things into perspective, that's 11mph faster than Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom, which itself clocks in at 27mph! It's very exhilarating to shoot down these spectacular waterslides!

Scariness~ 8/10
This is a serious thrill ride, and thus isn't at all for the faint hearted! You plummet 214 in pitch darkness at incredible speeds, before swiftly emerging at the bottom. These elements all combine to make Humunga Kowabunga considerably scary, and by far the scariest attraction in the entire park.

Theming~ 10/10
I really do make no secret of the fact that I love Typhoon Lagoon's theme- it's absolutely superb! Humunga Kowabunga is the highest attraction on Mount Mayday, with the start of the three slides situated not far below Miss Tilly, the boat which perches atop the mountain, and serves as the park's icon. An abundance of lovely little streams cascade down to Humunga Kowabunga from the mountain's peak, passing through the area in which you stand awaiting your turn on the attraction, before continuing on down the mountain. These streams, which exist throughout the park and feed many of its attractions (an element which I adore, and really adds authenticity to the theming), are supplemented by the 50 foot geyser which erupts from the peak of Mount Gushmore every 30 minutes, creating a mini surge of water, which is wonderful to watch if you're lucky enough to be at the top of Humunga Kowabunga when it happens. The landscaping here is simply gorgeous, and there aren't many things better in life than waiting at the top of Humunga Kowabunga in the warm Florida sun with cool water whirling around your feet, with unbeatable views of Typhoon Lagoon and parts of Downtown Disney set out before your eyes!

Educational~ 3/10
Humunga Kowabunga may not be an educational attraction, but it sure teaches you about how cool gravity is!

Fun~ 7/10
Humunga Kowabunga is definitely designed to be thrilling, so it therefore must be awesome fun too! For all the reasons I've already mentioned this attraction provides a great experience! Indeed, it's great fun just to queue for this attraction, such is the fantastic theming which surrounds it! However, it does hurt slightly when you hit the water at the bottom. Sure, it's more than worth it, but this isn't too fun! Regardless, everything else about Humunga Kowabunga cancels out this one small negative.

Repeatability~ 5/10
I'll be perfectly honest, you're gonna pretty much get the same experience every time here. All three slides are identical, so you won't see any differences. However, such is the thrill of this attraction, you'll most likely want to ride it more than once- I know I always do! As with almost every waterslide, there are a lot of stairs to climb, which can get difficult for anybody in the hot sun- another thing to consider here. Yet another reason to repeat is to be able to see the amazing theming again!

Interactivity~ 1/10
I think this is the lowest rating I've ever given for a Disney attraction! *sad face*
There really is no interactivity with Humunga Kowabunga, you have no control over how you descend the slide. You have to cross your arms and legs, so I guess the only thing you could do to make it more scary is close your eyes! That's not to say it isn't a good experience though- interactivity is by no means vital to any attraction.

And finally, my overall rating of Humunga Kowabunga~ 9/10
As I'm sure you've guessed by now, I'm a pretty big fan of Humunga Kowabunga! I love its thrill, its theming, its levels of fun, everything, really! Whilst it is a bit short, all speed slides are, it's just the nature of this variety of waterslide. The theming here truly is incredible, some of my favourite in the whole of Walt Disney World, and I really don't consider there to be any negatives with Humunga Kowabunga.

Thanks for reading! I would love to hear your views on Humunga Kowabunga- please leave a comment or post on the Blog's Facebook Page! Please also check out the awesome We're Going To Walt Disney World Podcast! Have a magical day!